How Lee Ann Womack Stayed Out of Reba’s Shadow

Lee Ann Womack is, by all accounts, having a great time on the current George Strait/Reba McEntire tour. But rather than supporting the two legends as an opening act these days -- and joining Reba on stage to sing Linda Davis' part on the duet, 'Does He Love You' -- Lee Ann could be playing a very different role in Reba's live show.

"When I first moved to town about 15 years ago, I heard she was looking for a backup singer. So I learned every harmony part to every Reba McEntire song," she tells the Arizona Daily Star. "I never even got a chance to audition."

Instead, Lee Ann headed full force into a country-music career of her own, which has yielded six critically-acclaimed albums, Grammys, CMA Awards and numerous other honors to her credit -- plus one monster country-pop crossover single, 'I Hope You Dance.'

Last year, Lee Ann started what she tells The Boot was the highlight of 2009 for her (this from the woman who also made her feature film debut in '09), by starting the Lee Ann Womack Country Music Appreciation Society and Social Club. "It's like a fan club, but it's free and it's very modern," Lee Ann tells The Boot. The site -- a sort of MySpace, Twitter and Facebook all rolled up in one, features videos, photos (our favorite includes the caption, "Why Lee Ann Womack is NOT Allowed to Drive," along with a real head-scratcher of a photo op!) and the humorous ramblings of a character called "Jello Shot Barbie." Lee Ann has also posted videos of parties and other social gatherings from her home so that fans and friends can share the experience right from their computer screen.

You can join the Lee Ann Womack Country Music Appreciation Society and Social Club for free by visiting the singer's website, where you'll also hear Lee Ann's powerful new single, 'There Is a God,' which is currently climbing the charts.